Parking Disaster! Ruined Honda City Paint

StarScream · 5th May 2008, 18:13

This Saturday the wife and me went to the Great India Place mall in Noida. Usually that huge mall has loads of underground parking but the guards directed us to park our NHC at the open-air car park. We got off and the driver did the parking.

Today, morning as I was setting out for work my driver tells me there is some sort of crud all over the car, which didn't come off with regular washing. I felt the body and sure enough it felt rough and a little sticky. It was all over - the hood, the windshield, the roof, the back, everywhere except for the lower part of the doors. Like someone had spray painted over it from the top.

I asked the driver if there was any work going on where the car had been parked. He said yes, about 10-15 feet away in the middle of where the cars were parked, workers were hauling steel beams and spray painting them. My heart sank hecause I knew then what this substance was. My car caught the fine mist even though it was parked behind two cars, which were facing the place where the work was going on, and there were cars on either side of my vehicle. I can only imagine what happened to the cars that were closer to spray painting. The mist was so fine that my driver never noticed it - he probably breathed it all in.

I called my Honda dealer and their first suggestion was I file an FIR and get the whole car repainted under insurance! Later they said maybe I should bring it in so that they can take a look and decide whether the specks can be removed. There are thousands of tiny specs.

Lets see what Honda says. On the Internet I read about using clay bars for this kind of thing. I'll try that as well. I called up GIP and gave them a piece of my mind. Nonetheless this whole thing is a needless headache. Right now I have a shiny graphite pearl Honda City!

Shankyz · 5th May 2008, 18:17

Try talking to 3M car detailing people, they can try to rub it off by using the rubbing compound.

gods-envy · 5th May 2008, 18:30

yeah, i too think this can be resolved by using Rubbing compound.
Not only 3M, even a company called Waxpol does it.
We had a similar instance with our Accent, our local car painter just used rubbing compund on it and it was all gone

StarScream · 5th May 2008, 18:31

Thanks Shankyz and gods-envy, I will check them out. Prime Honda, where my car is serviced also uses 3M products so perhaps they have an answer. Its worth a try - when I tried to rub specks off with my nail from the windshield some came off. The ones on the body were tougher to remove.

Blue Thunder · 5th May 2008, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarScream

...when I tried to rub specks off with my nail from the windshield some came off. The ones on the body were tougher to remove.

...dont use your nails on the body....even if you do it with the lightest force, it will leave scratch marks. These scratch marks will not be very visible now, but will become more visible over time.

vkochar · 5th May 2008, 18:41

I parked the car at GIP Noida last week when I was there. There was work going on ( Just outside Home Centre ). I removed the car & parked it elsewhere.

It's sad that your car had to go through this and that too at a such a safe place where you can least expect such kind of a problem cropping up.

I would say, take it to Honda and they will be able to paint the whole thing. Did it leave marks on the Glass area as well ?

StarScream · 5th May 2008, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

...dont use your nails on the body....even if you do it with the lightest force, it will leave scratch marks. These scratch marks will not be very visible now, but will become more visible over time.

I tried a bit. Not too much and when I figured it was more deeply entrenched than I thought I let it be and told the driver to keep his hands off it as well.

tsk1979 · 5th May 2008, 18:48

Many times the Great India Palace Mall people try to make you park in the open air car park, which is just a muddy ground.
Don't park your cars there and go to sector 18 instead and park there. We always park in 18 if the Great India Mall people tell that underground parking is full(they usually lie to make money from the outer car park)

StarScream · 5th May 2008, 18:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by vkochar

I parked the car at GIP Noida last week when I was there. There was work going on ( Just outside Home Centre ). I removed the car & parked it elsewhere.

It's sad that your car had to go through this and that too at a such a safe place where you can least expect such kind of a problem cropping up.

I would say, take it to Honda and they will be able to paint the whole thing. Did it leave marks on the Glass area as well ?

Yes it did. Its not marks its very fine specs. Its not obvious unless you go up close, touch the body and look at it.
Im sure it happened to all other cars parked there. I wonder what those owners are doing. Perhaps they haven't figured it out.

StarScream · 5th May 2008, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Many times the Great India Palace Mall people try to make you park in the open air car park, which is just a muddy ground.
Don't park your cars there and go to sector 18 instead and park there. We always park in 18 if the Great India Mall people tell that underground parking is full(they usually lie to make money from the outer car park)

Sigh...simple things need so much strategizing in this country! I will keep that in mind. It was just that it was the middle of the afternoon. it was very hot and walking in the sun just did not seem like an appealing idea. Especially since my wife is pregnant. I normally don't even go to these malls on the weekend - they are so crowded.

BTW does anyone have a number or contact for 3M? Do they have their own set up or do they operate through dealers?

kutlee · 5th May 2008, 18:55

Not too much of a problem. Serive centres would have dealt with such issues before. I had this micro grey spray paint spots in my car years ago. Took the car to regular service and they removed using some compound. Didn't bother to ask which compound. It was spray paint from the metro rail. I know its worrying and annoying...but India is still developing..:-)

StarScream · 5th May 2008, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by kutlee

I know its worrying and annoying...but India is still developing..:-)

Im all for India developing. More power to India and all that but spray painting in the middle of a car park! Arrrggghhhhhhhh!

Shankyz · 5th May 2008, 20:57

@starscream, why don't you post a pic or two , a pic is worth thousand words. It will help us to suggest corrective course of action. Don't try to peel off/remove using your finger nails or any other sharp objects, as it will cause more damage to the paint.

I'm 99.999% sure, that you won't have to repaint the complete body, have patience and talk to one or more workshops, It's good that Honda have a tie up with 3M, get an estimate from them and some outside workshop (Reputed Only) also, don;t act in a hurry, whatever damage is done ..is done and you can't do anything about it..think with a cool head before committing yourself.

kpzen · 5th May 2008, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarScream

I called my Honda dealer and their first suggestion was I file an FIR and get the whole car repainted under insurance! Later they said maybe I should bring it in so that they can take a look and decide whether the specks can be removed. There are thousands of tiny specs.

Honda guys are crazy.!!! Suggesting a repaint for the whole car without even having a look.

I feel a detailed rubbing and polishing job will remove everything from the surface..But yes can't be sure without having a look at it.

Jaggu · 5th May 2008, 21:30

Just give it a good rub and polish job

3M guys would be ideal.

5th May 2008, 18:13	#1
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	Parking Disaster! Ruined Honda City Paint This Saturday the wife and me went to the Great India Place mall in Noida. Usually that huge mall has loads of underground parking but the guards directed us to park our NHC at the open-air car park. We got off and the driver did the parking. Today, morning as I was setting out for work my driver tells me there is some sort of crud all over the car, which didn't come off with regular washing. I felt the body and sure enough it felt rough and a little sticky. It was all over - the hood, the windshield, the roof, the back, everywhere except for the lower part of the doors. Like someone had spray painted over it from the top. I asked the driver if there was any work going on where the car had been parked. He said yes, about 10-15 feet away in the middle of where the cars were parked, workers were hauling steel beams and spray painting them. My heart sank hecause I knew then what this substance was. My car caught the fine mist even though it was parked behind two cars, which were facing the place where the work was going on, and there were cars on either side of my vehicle. I can only imagine what happened to the cars that were closer to spray painting. The mist was so fine that my driver never noticed it - he probably breathed it all in. I called my Honda dealer and their first suggestion was I file an FIR and get the whole car repainted under insurance! Later they said maybe I should bring it in so that they can take a look and decide whether the specks can be removed. There are thousands of tiny specs. Lets see what Honda says. On the Internet I read about using clay bars for this kind of thing. I'll try that as well. I called up GIP and gave them a piece of my mind. Nonetheless this whole thing is a needless headache. Right now I have a shiny graphite pearl Honda City!
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 18:17	#2
Shankyz BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 196 Thanked: 2 Times	Try talking to 3M car detailing people, they can try to rub it off by using the rubbing compound.
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 18:30	#3
gods-envy BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 474 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	yeah, i too think this can be resolved by using Rubbing compound. Not only 3M, even a company called Waxpol does it. We had a similar instance with our Accent, our local car painter just used rubbing compund on it and it was all gone
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 18:31	#4
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	Thanks Shankyz and gods-envy, I will check them out. Prime Honda, where my car is serviced also uses 3M products so perhaps they have an answer. Its worth a try - when I tried to rub specks off with my nail from the windshield some came off. The ones on the body were tougher to remove. Last edited by StarScream : 5th May 2008 at 18:32.
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 18:41	#6
vkochar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Delhi / Agra / London Posts: 2,146 Thanked: 819 Times View My Garage	I parked the car at GIP Noida last week when I was there. There was work going on ( Just outside Home Centre ). I removed the car & parked it elsewhere. It's sad that your car had to go through this and that too at a such a safe place where you can least expect such kind of a problem cropping up. I would say, take it to Honda and they will be able to paint the whole thing. Did it leave marks on the Glass area as well ?
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 18:48	#8
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Many times the Great India Palace Mall people try to make you park in the open air car park, which is just a muddy ground. Don't park your cars there and go to sector 18 instead and park there. We always park in 18 if the Great India Mall people tell that underground parking is full(they usually lie to make money from the outer car park)
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 18:55	#11
kutlee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,141 Thanked: 232 Times View My Garage	Not too much of a problem. Serive centres would have dealt with such issues before. I had this micro grey spray paint spots in my car years ago. Took the car to regular service and they removed using some compound. Didn't bother to ask which compound. It was spray paint from the metro rail. I know its worrying and annoying...but India is still developing..:-)
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 20:57	#13
Shankyz BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 196 Thanked: 2 Times	@starscream, why don't you post a pic or two , a pic is worth thousand words. It will help us to suggest corrective course of action. Don't try to peel off/remove using your finger nails or any other sharp objects, as it will cause more damage to the paint. I'm 99.999% sure, that you won't have to repaint the complete body, have patience and talk to one or more workshops, It's good that Honda have a tie up with 3M, get an estimate from them and some outside workshop (Reputed Only) also, don;t act in a hurry, whatever damage is done ..is done and you can't do anything about it..think with a cool head before committing yourself.
	() Thanks

5th May 2008, 21:30	#15
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,907 Times	Just give it a good rub and polish job 3M guys would be ideal.
	() Thanks